Virginia's Jones Is First Of 5 From State Programs

April 16, 2000|By DAVE JOHNSON and DAVE FAIRBANK Daily Press

Thomas Jones wasn't about to offer any predictions; that's Muhammad Ali's style, not his. But after the Arizona Cardinals made him the seventh overall pick in the NFL draft Saturday, Jones admitted that was what he expected all along.

"I'm not surprised at all," said Jones, the former Virginia All-America running back. "I talked to the Cardinals at the (NFL) Combine and I think we were real excited about each other. Definitely, I'm excited to be going out there."

Of course, the Jones-Arizona marriage was one most draft analysts expected. Jones wasn't the first running back selected - Tennessee's Jamal Lewis went two picks earlier to Baltimore - but he finds himself in a situation where he can offer immediate help. The Cardinals were 29th out of 31 NFL teams last season in rushing and lost top back Adrian Murrell to the Washington Redskins.

Jones was the first of five state college players to get the call on the draft's first day. Virginia Tech defensive end John Engelberger went to San Francisco as the fourth pick of the second round (35th overall); Hokies defensive back Ike Charlton went 17 selections later to Seattle (52nd); Tech defensive end Corey Moore went to Buffalo in the third round (89th); and Virginia center John St. Clair went to Super Bowl champion St. Louis with the final pick of the third round (94th).

Penn State cornerback David Macklin, a Menchville High alum, was taken by Indianapolis with the 91st overall pick.

The final four rounds will be held today.

Jones has a legitimate chance of starting as a rookie. The Cardinals' top returning rusher, 24- year-old Michael Pittman, gained 289 yards on 64 carries last season backing up Murrell. The Cardinals averaged 75 rushing yards per game, which in the entire league bettered only Atlanta and Cleveland.

Jones, Virginia's all-time leading rusher, joins a franchise that has had one winning season since 1984. The Cardinals made the playoffs in 1998 behind second-year quarterback Jake Plummer but faltered to a 6-10 finish last season.

"You never know what could happen this year," said Jones, the second of five backs taken in the first round. "The Cardinals could end up in the Super Bowl, and I think that's the goal of every team. The Cardinals have some of the same makeup as the Rams - they have great wide receivers, they've got a great quarterback and they've got a good running back. And their defense is definitely good. So I think they've got a great opportunity."

Engelberger's selection by the 49ers ended a trying past few weeks for the defensive end, who is far more comfortable playing than waiting. He said he spent Saturday hanging around his apartment with teammate Keith Short, playing video games and tuning into the draft occasionally.

"It's been very stressful," he said. "The Combine was terrible. The individual workouts were terrible. I'm just glad I got picked up by somebody."

Engelberger, a former walk-on tight end who became a 6-4, 260-pound All-Big East defensive end, is part of the Niners' rebuilding effort on defense after they finished 4-12 last season. As of March 1, they had just 15 defensive players under contract.

San Francisco used all four picks in the first two rounds on defense. The Niners took Michigan State linebacker Julian Peterson with the 16th pick and Ohio State cornerback Ahmed Plummer with the 24th pick. In the second round they took Engelberger and Texas A&M defensive back Jason Webster.

"I had a feeling I was going early and a lot of people were telling me I'd go in the first round, but I didn't care about that," he said. "I just wanted to be picked up by somebody."

Charlton joins a strong cornerback corps in Seattle, with fourth-year pro Shawn Springs and eight-year pro Willie Williams as the starters for the defending AFC West champions.

Charlton, a 5-10, 203-pounder, chose to come out after his junior year. A second-team All-Big East cornerback, he finished with 51 tackles and one interception. He also demonstrated that he could return punts after regular punt returner Ricky Hall was injured in the days leading up to the Sugar Bowl.

Moore was one of the more intriguing first-day picks. Though a consensus All-America defensive end and one of the most honored players in Tech history, he is projected as a linebacker in the pros because of his 6-foot, 215-pound stature.

"I got the feeling that a lot of teams I talked to were hoping I'd be around in the fourth or fifth round because they weren't sure about taking a chance on me," he said. "But I'm glad Buffalo stepped up to the plate and made it happen for me, so now I can't wait to go up there and make it happen for them."

He said he had no contact with the Bills until they called him Saturday night. The Bills are one of the few teams in the league that play a 3-linemen, 4-linebacker scheme. Their two starting outside linebackers, Sam Rogers and Gabe Northern, go over 6-2 and 240 pounds.